Former BCCI selector Kris Srikkanth has taken a hard line against Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya after the franchise’s defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Mumbai suffered their seventh loss of the campaign, sliding to ninth place in the points standings, with their chances of reaching the playoffs effectively fading.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth questioned Hardik’s leadership and decision-making, particularly during MI’s innings on a Chepauk surface that offered two different paces. He pointed out that Hardik managed just 18 runs off 23 balls, while also criticising the captain’s bowling call during the powerplay. Instead of taking responsibility himself, Hardik handed the new ball to Krish Bhagat, who leaked 18 runs in that phase. Srikkanth suggested that Hardik lacked the courage to bowl early and linked it to what he sees as a growing pattern in his captain’s batting as well.
Srikkanth said Hardik appeared “scared” to bowl with the new ball, adding that opposition teams have seemingly worked out a way to deal with him. “Hardik Pandya can’t lay bat on ball, and with the ball also, he is scared. He gives Krish Bhagat the ball in the powerplay instead of bowling himself. Teams are smashing Bhagat, yet Hardik is scared to bowl in the powerplay,” he remarked. He then went further, calling the captain’s overall impact “terrible” and questioning the intent behind MI’s approach in both the middle and the closing overs. “Hardik Pandya is playing terribly. You are the captain. They had no clue in the middle and end overs. What was Hardik Pandya even trying to do? It was hard to understand. Hereafter, no one will feed him balls on a length. They’ll bowl into the body and tuck him up. Teams are completely locking him up,” Srikkanth added.
The former India batter’s criticism did not stop with Hardik. Srikkanth also targeted Tilak Varma’s run of form this season, highlighting his dismissal for five off eight balls against Chennai. He urged the Mumbai Indians management to consider dropping Tilak, arguing that the batter has been struggling for consistency and that one strong performance should not mask the bigger issues.
“Tilak Varma then ate ball after ball, and that’s where the pressure started. He is playing so ordinarily. Barring that one century, he has struggled big time this season. One sunny day doesn’t make a summer. Likewise, just one good knock won’t do. He should be dropped. He is batting horribly. They must bring in a new batter instead,” Srikkanth said.
Tilak, however, has shown he can deliver match-defining innings, including scoring an unbeaten 101 that helped MI register their second win of the season against Gujarat Titans last month. Even so, beyond that century, he has accumulated just 92 runs across his remaining eight innings.
With the loss to CSK adding another blow to their campaign, Mumbai Indians now turn their attention to their next assignment against bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants on May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium.
